The Board has determined that an earlier effective date of January 3, 1996 is warranted for the grant of secondary service connection for degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine.
The deciding factor: The veteran's representative filed a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) on behalf of the veteran regarding the July 1996 denial of secondary service connection, and the RO failed to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC). The claim was still pending at the time of the November 2002 grant of secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2007
- Citation
- 0702520
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0702520.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral spine, left knee, right knee, and traumatic arthritis disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine with episodes of acute pain is rated at 20 percent, effective December 28, 2005. He also has a separate 10 percent rating for right lower extremity neurological manifestations due to sciatic nerve involvement.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative disk disease of the lumbosacral spine as there was no evidence linking it to active duty.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.